Heuchera plant named ‘Midnight Rose’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct hybrid of  Heuchera  plant characterized by almost black colored leaves with pink spots that expand as the leaf grows larger. In summer the spots on the older leaves lighten to cream and pink.

Botanical classification: Heuchera hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Midnight Rose’.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera hybrid given the cultivar name of ‘Midnight Rose’. Heuchera is in the family Saxifragaceae. Heuchera ‘Midnight Rose’ originated as a tissue culture mutation of Heuchera ‘Obsidian’. It was found by the inventor in a shipment of Heuchera ‘Obsidian’ at Behnke Nurseries (700 Watkins Park Drive, Largo, Md. 20774).

This new and unique Heuchera is distinguished by:

-   -   1. Almost black colored leaves with pink spots that expand as         the leaf grows larger.     -   2. In summer the spots on the older leaves lighten to cream and         pink.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by division and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows Heuchera ‘Midnight Rose’ foliage and flowers growing in the ground in the trial beds in June in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2 shows Heuchera ‘Midnight Rose’ growing in the garden in April in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 3 shows Heuchera ‘Midnight Rose’ growing in the ground in the trial beds in mid July in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Heuchera hybrid based on observations of two year old specimen grown in the ground in Canby, Oreg. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart.

-   Plant:     -   -   Form.—Basal rosette, herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 4 to 9.         -   Size.—30 cm tall from the ground to the top of the foliage             and 35 cm wide.         -   Habit.—Mounding.         -   Vigor.—Excellent.         -   Roots.—Fibrous, freely branching, fine, and white in color;             roots develop easily from cuttings. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Arrangement.—Rosette.         -   Shape.—Orbicular to slightly ovate, cupping upward when             plants are mature.         -   Lobing/division.—7 rounded lobes, with 2 shallow secondary             lobes on the terminal and longest lobe and 1 shallow             secondary lobe on the lateral lobes.         -   Venation.—Palmate.         -   Margins.—Broadly crenate.         -   Apex.—Mucronulate to obtuse.         -   Base.—Cordate, lobes strongly overlapping.         -   Blade size.—Grows to 9.5 cm long and 8.5 cm wide.         -   Surface texture.—Sparsely puberulous on both sides.         -   Petiole length.—Grows to 22 cm.         -   Petiole texture.—Glandular puberulent.         -   Petiole color.—Greyed Orange 177A and Greyed Purple 183A.         -   Leaf color.—Topside — in spring Black 202A with pink spots             Greyed Purple 186B; in summer the new leaves are Greyed             Purple 187A to Brown 200A with the spots Greyed Purple 186B             and the older leaves lighten to between Green 147A and Brown             200A with the spots lightening to Red 36A, Greyed Purple             186D, and Greyed Red 182D. Bottom side — Greyed Purple 187A             with occasional patches of Greyed Purple 186B. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Thyrse.         -   Number of flowers.—About 100 per thyrse.         -   Peduncle description.—Unbranched, with 2 or 3 petiolate             bracts per scape, bracts grow to 5 cm long and 4 cm wide,             ovate, serrate, with 3 main lobes, peduncle grows to 74 cm             tall and 5 mm wide, glandular puberulent, Greyed Purple             187A.         -   Pedicel description.—6 mm long and 1 mm wide, glandular             puberulent, Greyed Purple 187A.         -   Bloom period.—May to July in Canby, Oreg. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—4 mm long, 2 mm wide.         -   Description.—Glandular puberulent, ovoid.         -   Color.—Greyed Purple 186A with Greyed Yellow 160A at tip. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—Perfect, zygomorphic.         -   Shape.—Campanulate.         -   Size.—6 mm long and 5 mm wide.         -   Petal description.—5, inconspicuous, 3 mm long and 1 mm             wide, elliptic with a clawed base, entire, acute, White 155D             and glandular on both sides.         -   Calyx description.—4 mm deep and 3 mm wide, urceolate, with             5 lobes divided ½ way to the base, broadly oblong with             glandular hairs on both sides, entire, acute, Yellow Green             152A inside and on lobes inside and out, outside tube of             calyx Brown 200A.         -   Stamen.—5, about 2 mm long, filaments Yellow White 158C, 1.2             mm long, anthers sterile, 0.8 mm long, Greyed Yellow 160D,             no pollen.         -   Pistil.—4 mm long, Yellow Green 145A overall, ovary 2 mm             long and 2 beaked style 2 mm long.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Lastingness.—Each thryse blooms for about 2 weeks on the             plant. -   Fruit:     -   -   Type.—Two-beaked ovoid capsule.         -   Fertility.—Low.         -   Color.—Tan. RHS 160C Greyed-Yellow to 199C Grey-Brown. -   Seed:     -   -   Shape.—Linear.         -   Size.—2 mm. long.         -   Color.—Black RHS 202A. -   Disease and pest tolerance: Excellent disease resistance to powdery     mildew, the common problem of Heuchera. Susceptible to root weevils.     Not highly susceptible to Heuchera rust.

COMPARISON TO SIMILAR HEUCHERA

Compared to Heuchera ‘Obsidian’, the parent plant, the new cultivar is the same except for the shocking pink spotting. 

1. A new and distinct hybrid of Heuchera plant substantially as shown and described. 